**July 2024 Check-In**

[OlliePop27]

Thanks for making this thread. Checking in July 5th to July 13th. First time ever visiting DL. Been to DW many times former AP holder. We will be staying at Disneyland Hotel.

Welcome! You're going to have a great time and you chose a great time of year to visit! Let all of us know if you have any questions.

 

[imp&pixie]

We are very excited to be coming down to celebrate Disneyland's birthday, July 17-20. We are staying at the Desert Inn & Suites. It has been way too long since we have visited, our last trip was in June of 2021. Looking forward to spending 4 glorious days in the parks.

 

[SLThomas318]

So we are summer Disney World regulars and know what to expect in terms of weather (hot, humid, rain). Is it still chilly in the am/pm in July at Disneyland or should we expect warmer temps all day? Summer packing for the world is pretty straightforward, wondering if we might still need some layers for DL or if it's warm all day in July. Thanks in advance... looking forward to experience Disneyland for the first time!

 

[BriannaRuth]

We usually go in the summer, although I'm not a local so maybe someone else can give you a better answer. I don't think I've ever needed a jacket in the morning, but I have definitely worn a light jacket in the evening a time or two, especially after getting wet. I specifically recall sitting at World of Color thinking, "I wish I had a jacket!" I've always been plenty warm (ok, hot) during the day.

 

[OlliePop27]

So we are summer Disney World regulars and know what to expect in terms of weather (hot, humid, rain). Is it still chilly in the am/pm in July at Disneyland or should we expect warmer temps all day? Summer packing for the world is pretty straightforward, wondering if we might still need some layers for DL or if it's warm all day in July. Thanks in advance... looking forward to experience Disneyland for the first time!

I think it largely depends on what you're used to, but it's nothing like FL. The weather is variable like anywhere else, so check the forecast once you start getting within a week. It could be hot or it could be milder (by summer standards). It will absolutely be warm during the day though.

In the early parts of summer it is common for there to be a marine layer or fog in the mornings, burning off late morning and the sun comes out. Temps maybe starting out in the 60s and rising to the 80s. It could also not be foggy and rise to the 90s. The fog starts to become less prevalent once it gets into July. Some people think 60's in the morning is cold during the summer, some people don't.

Bring layers. You might need a light jacket in the morning and evening. I typically dress in shorts and a t-shirt with light jacket during summer. No jacket if the day does not start out foggy.

A couple of weather certainties for July. It is not humid at all compared to the east coast (some people on here claim it gets humid, but it is not at all humid compared to FL). It also will not rain in July. It's a huge relief to not worry about rain.

Plan to see fireworks on your first night to have multiple chances to see them. They get cancelled frequently due to winds at higher elevations. You don't want to wait until your last night only to find out they're cancelled. It's not uncommon for there to be almost no wind at ground level, but the fireworks are cancelled because there's winds up high. Cancellation due to wind is not an issue with Fantasmic or World of Color.

 

[Artygal90]

Hi! I don't know what got into me but I saw that flights to SNA were cheaper than usual from my city...so I booked them, and called my best friend, and now the two of us are taking my toddler for his first Disney trip July 1-4! It will have been 5 years since my first and only DLR visit, and 4 1/2 years since my last WDW trip. I still need to talk with my friend but I am thinking we will stay at the Fairfield Marriott Anaheim since I can get it on points.

I'm still trying to work out how to approach touring the parks with a little one and a more laid-back friend in our party. Left to my own devices, I go rope-drop to close and ride all the rollercoasters as many times as I can! I'm thinking no hoppers, just to keep the cost down and simplify things. But I still have so many questions:

1. Is Genie+ worth it? I loved MaxPass but $30/pp is harder to swallow than $10/pp, especially when I'd be doing many of the rides on my own. BUT also my toddler has limited patience to wait in long lines these days, or wait for Mama to get out of the long line for her rollercoaster ride.
2. How do the Lightning Lane reservations work with rider swap?
3. What is new since 2019? Galaxy's Edge (which I've done in WDW but my friend hasn't), Avenger's Campus, the Toontown renovation, the SanFransokyo (?) section...will the Tiana ride be open by then do we think?
4. Where would be a good place to place a pickup grocery order for things like diapers, breakfast foods, snacks, milk etc?
5. Will it be super-busy July 2, 3, and the morning of the 4th? I bought the last flight out so we would in theory have 3-4 hours at the parks in the morning of July 4th to do anything we missed the first two days.

Ahhh, it feels good to be back planning a Disney getaway!

 

[OlliePop27]

Hi! I don't know what got into me but I saw that flights to SNA were cheaper than usual from my city...so I booked them, and called my best friend, and now the two of us are taking my toddler for his first Disney trip July 1-4! It will have been 5 years since my first and only DLR visit, and 4 1/2 years since my last WDW trip. I still need to talk with my friend but I am thinking we will stay at the Fairfield Marriott Anaheim since I can get it on points.

I'm still trying to work out how to approach touring the parks with a little one and a more laid-back friend in our party. Left to my own devices, I go rope-drop to close and ride all the rollercoasters as many times as I can! I'm thinking no hoppers, just to keep the cost down and simplify things. But I still have so many questions:

1. Is Genie+ worth it? I loved MaxPass but $30/pp is harder to swallow than $10/pp, especially when I'd be doing many of the rides on my own. BUT also my toddler has limited patience to wait in long lines these days, or wait for Mama to get out of the long line for her rollercoaster ride.
2. How do the Lightning Lane reservations work with rider swap?
3. What is new since 2019? Galaxy's Edge (which I've done in WDW but my friend hasn't), Avenger's Campus, the Toontown renovation, the SanFransokyo (?) section...will the Tiana ride be open by then do we think?
4. Where would be a good place to place a pickup grocery order for things like diapers, breakfast foods, snacks, milk etc?
5. Will it be super-busy July 2, 3, and the morning of the 4th? I bought the last flight out so we would in theory have 3-4 hours at the parks in the morning of July 4th to do anything we missed the first two days.

Ahhh, it feels good to be back planning a Disney getaway!

Welcome!

1. I recommend looking at a list of Genie+ attractions and deciding whether it's worth it or not. It tends to include a lot of rides with a height requirement, so maybe not worth it. Things like Mickey and Minnie's Railway, Small World, Little Mermaid are included, but some of those rides are pretty easy to do without waiting long at certain parts of the day. When I went with a 2.5 year old we did not have Genie, and we opted to not do many rides with a height requirement. If I wanted to do certain things, I would go at night after the kid was asleep (with my significant other relaxing in the hotel room) and do single rider on things like Matterhorn, Space Mountain, Incredicoaster. I would highly encourage you to get park hopper tickets and not spend a whole day in California Adventure. DCA does not have nearly as much to do in general compared to DL, and this is exacerbated by your situation with a young kid. Frankly, there is a very limited amount of stuff for a very young kid to do at DCA, whereas DL has a lot more rides without a height requirement. Take a midday break to go back to the hotel for a nap and a break from the crowds!
2. You go up to the ride entrance, tell the cast member you have a kid who can't ride, and they'll issue you a rider swap pass. You ride first while your friend waits with the kid, then you switch. If you have Genie+, there's really no benefit in your particular situation. If you don't have rider swap, then one of you will wait the whole time and another will get to go back through the LL entrance. The main benefit would be if you have two kids, one who can ride and one who isn't tall enough. Each parent takes turns watching the younger kid while the other parent rides with the older kid. The older kid can ride twice with rider swap - once with each parent. You won't get to ride twice with two adults and one kid who isn't tall enough.
3. No, Tiana's will not be open in July at Disneyland. You mentioned most of the new things already in your post. Pixar Fest is going on with a new parade in DCA, an updated fireworks show, and some other special events throughout both parks. Know that Haunted Mansion and Winnie the Pooh are also likely (but not confirmed) to be closed when you visit.
4. I typically just get Walmart delivered to my hotel, or I pick it up myself before checking in if I have a car. I have Walmart+, so you might explore others. Some local grocery stores have free delivery for your first sign up.
5. Busyness is very subjective, and some variation of this question gets asked almost every day on these boards. The full answer to your question is quite complex and involves issues surrounding Magic Key block outs and single day ticket prices. Here's the best way to answer it. Disneyland is ALWAYS busy. The level of how busy varies. Early July is not one of the most busy times of year, even with July 4th, but it will absolutely be crowded. Use the mornings to do your advantage before crowds build during the day. July 4th in the morning should actually be a great time to visit for a few hours with relatively light crowds until later in the day when crowds build for fireworks. July 1-3 will be busier, as less Magic Keys are blocked out then on July 4th.

 

[CrazDisMom]

I didn't see a July thread, so will get one started. I may not be able to update daily, but will try to update a few times per week.

Please post your dates, hotel, and any July info you have to share!

Post 2 contains info about July events, entertainment, attraction closures and more as official news is posted.

Post 3 contains the July check-ins as posted.

Thank you for starting this thread!

My family and I will be there July 16th-23rd. Staying at the Westin. We have included my Mom on this trip and this is first back since the early 90s and second trip for us. Excited that we are going to be there for the Pixar Fest! Any suggestions for reservations for the parades and shows would be greatly appreciated. Have our dates for Fantasmic and WoC but still trying to figure out the Parades.

 

[OlliePop27]

July 1st dining reservations open up on Thursday (5/2) at 6:00 am Pacific! We still do not know anything about Fantasmic, but hopefully they will announce soon.

 

[disny_luvr]

July 1st dining reservations open up on Thursday (5/2) at 6:00 am Pacific! We still do not know anything about Fantasmic, but hopefully they will announce soon.

I have my fingers crossed that Disney will soon release information about Fantasmic dining packages. It’s supposed to open in a few weeks so we have to hear something soon, right?!

 

[CrazDisMom]

I have my fingers crossed that Disney will soon release information about Fantasmic dining packages. It’s supposed to open in a few weeks so we have to hear something soon, right?!

I've got my fingers crossed as well! Hopefully Disney releases new information sooner rather then later. I'm also still trying to figure out if there is any reserved viewing areas for the Pixar Parade.

 

[OlliePop27]

I've got my fingers crossed as well! Hopefully Disney releases new information sooner rather then later. I'm also still trying to figure out if there is any reserved viewing areas for the Pixar Parade.

Yes! There is a dining package for the Pixar parade. Someone recently posted a review on the Pixar Fest thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/pixar-fest-april-26-august-4.3942359/post-65469535.

You can find the dining reservation by searching for your day and it has the Sonoma Terrace parade dining package option.

My personal advice is that it may be better to save the money for something else like Fantasmic or World of Color. In the past, seeing parades at DCA has been incredibly easy without a huge investment of time. The parade route is very long, the longest in any Disney park. With two parades running daily, it will probably be manageable to find a spot up front without having to wait too long.

 

[disny_luvr]

This morning I made an ADR for Blue Bayou for 2:10pm on July 1st. I'm honestly not sure if I am going to keep it. I only booked it because Disney has not released any information about Fantasmic dining packages and someone on another thread recommended making an ADR for either Blue Bayou or River Belle Terrace. I was looking at the menu and nothing seems to wow me. What does everyone like to eat here? If we do keep it, I need to make sure we can all find something that we'll like. I've heard a lot about the Monte Cristo sandwich, but is it really worth $31?

My next question is about Fantasmic show times. I have our reservation booked for our first park day, but I was originally thinking we'd watch the fireworks in front of the castle that night. Can we watch Fantasmic and see the fireworks on the same night? We'll be back in DL on July 3rd and we could watch Fantasmic that night, too.

Any seasoned DL visitors have any advice?

 

[OlliePop27]

This morning I made an ADR for Blue Bayou for 2:10pm on July 1st. I'm honestly not sure if I am going to keep it. I only booked it because Disney has not released any information about Fantasmic dining packages and someone on another thread recommended making an ADR for either Blue Bayou or River Belle Terrace. I was looking at the menu and nothing seems to wow me. What does everyone like to eat here? If we do keep it, I need to make sure we can all find something that we'll like. I've heard a lot about the Monte Cristo sandwich, but is it really worth $31?

My next question is about Fantasmic show times. I have our reservation booked for our first park day, but I was originally thinking we'd watch the fireworks in front of the castle that night. Can we watch Fantasmic and see the fireworks on the same night? We'll be back in DL on July 3rd and we could watch Fantasmic that night, too.

Any seasoned DL visitors have any advice?

I'm not personally a fan of Blue Bayou because of the prices, but I'm sure others will chime in.

Yes, you can watch Fantasmic and the fireworks on the same night. There's two choices.

1) Watch the 9:00 pm Fantasmic and then stay in your spot to see the fireworks. They will show projections on the Fantasmic mist screens, but you will not see the flying Buzz or Up house.
2) Watch the fireworks from Main Street and then go over to watch the 10:30 Fantasmic. The second showing of Fantasmic is always less crowded then the first.

During July, they will be showing Fantasmic at 9:00 and 10:30 nightly, and the fireworks will be showing nightly at 9:30 (wind dependent). This is not yet on the official schedule, but during the summer this is ALWAYS the nightly schedule every single day. DL park will stay open until Midnight every night.

 

[disny_luvr]

I'm not personally a fan of Blue Bayou because of the prices, but I'm sure others will chime in.

Yes, you can watch Fantasmic and the fireworks on the same night. There's two choices.

1) Watch the 9:00 pm Fantasmic and then stay in your spot to see the fireworks. They will show projections on the Fantasmic mist screens, but you will not see the flying Buzz or Up house.
2) Watch the fireworks from Main Street and then go over to watch the 10:30 Fantasmic. The second showing of Fantasmic is always less crowded then the first.

During July, they will be showing Fantasmic at 9:00 and 10:30 nightly, and the fireworks will be showing nightly at 9:30 (wind dependent). This is not yet on the official schedule, but during the summer this is ALWAYS the nightly schedule every single day. DL park will stay open until Midnight every night.

Thank you! This is very helpful. We will definitely plan on the second Fantasmic showing. If you have the dining package does that dictate which showing you will see? Is there a way to guarantee the second showing?

 

[OlliePop27]

Thank you! This is very helpful. We will definitely plan on the second Fantasmic showing. If you have the dining package does that dictate which showing you will see? Is there a way to guarantee the second showing?

It depends how they do it this year. It has varied in the pre and post Covid iterations of the Fantasmic dining package.

If you do not get to select your show time when booking your reservation, yes you can choose at the restaurant. There is very little risk of the second show selling out. You can also typically do standby for the second show fairly easily, just going in right when the area clears out after fireworks. This makes it about a 1-hour commitment for second show standby vs. the 2+ hour commitment for the first show. This is why many do the dining package especially with kids, as 10:30 is too late for most young children.

DL used to have a major problem where locals would camp out for hours to see the first Fantasmic. They did away with this by requiring a virtual queue (Fastpass) before Covid. When the show came back post-Covid they did away with virtual queue and basically required a dining reservation and almost no standby.

It now appears they are doing away with virtual queue and doing some kind of dining reservation/standby hybrid. An odd choice since World of Color uses virtual queue every day in DCA.

 

[disny_luvr]

It depends how they do it this year. It has varied in the pre and post Covid iterations of the Fantasmic dining package.

If you do not get to select your show time when booking your reservation, yes you can choose at the restaurant. There is very little risk of the second show selling out. You can also typically do standby for the second show fairly easily, just going in right when the area clears out after fireworks. This makes it about a 1-hour commitment for second show standby vs. the 2+ hour commitment for the first show. This is why many do the dining package especially with kids, as 10:30 is too late for most young children.

DL used to have a major problem where locals would camp out for hours to see the first Fantasmic. They did away with this by requiring a virtual queue (Fastpass) before Covid. When the show came back post-Covid they did away with virtual queue and basically required a dining reservation and almost no standby.

It now appears they are doing away with virtual queue and doing some kind of dining reservation/standby hybrid. An odd choice since World of Color uses virtual queue every day in DCA.

Thank you for explaining all of this to me.

I know no one knows for sure since very little information has been released yet, but if we do the second showing, do you think we can forgo the dining package? If we can get away without one and just do stand-by, we may go that route. We are doing the same with WOC. We plan to go for the second showing in hopes it isn’t as full.

 

[OlliePop27]

Thank you! This is very helpful. We will definitely plan on the second Fantasmic showing. If you have the dining package does that dictate which showing you will see? Is there a way to guarantee the second showing?

I also want to mention that getting from Main Street to the ROA can be quite complex after the fireworks. DL park has very small and narrow walkways. After Fantasmic, the Adventureland route will be packed with people heading towards Main Street trying to leave the park (that would also be the quickest way for you to get to ROA). I recommend trying Frontierland, if you are able. It is not uncommon during the nighttime entertainment chaos for CM's to force traffic one way in a counterclockwise direction around the park. This might force you to enter Tomorrowland and circle all the way back around through Fantasyland, down Big Thunder Trail and into the ROA.

Hopefully, that is not what happens to you, but I want you to be prepared for the possibility because it has happened to me on many occasions in the past (especially during DL's 60th in 2015 when crowds were insane). I have personally found the crowds post-Covid with reservations to not be as intense as before reservations existed, so hopefully crowd flow is less intense.

 

[OlliePop27]

Thank you for explaining all of this to me.

I know no one knows for sure since very little information has been released yet, but if we do the second showing, do you think we can forgo the dining package? If we can get away without one and just do stand-by, we may go that route. We are doing the same with WOC. We plan to go for the second showing in hopes it isn’t as full.

I personally think you can do without the dining package, as I never have done the dining package myself and used to be able to get the second show standby. We have to see how things work out this year though.

I recommend booking some dining reservations just in case, see what the procedure ends up being, read reviews about the procedure, then cancel the reservations if you don't need them.

For me, if I can't see Fantasmic standby for the second show, I am just not going to see it this summer. On this particular trip, it's not worth the price of a dining package to see the show. I might feel differently on a future trip.

Second show of WOC you will be totally fine with the VQ. Try to get there right when the first show ends. Look for the front rail of any section. The viewing area for WOC is terraced, so each section back is higher then in front. There's rope or railing separating each one. The front will prevent someone taller from blocking you.

 

[BriannaRuth]

I've heard a lot about the Monte Cristo sandwich, but is it really worth $31?

No, the MC is not worth $31. What is worth $31 is dining inside Pirates. Maybe think of it as pay for the experience, get the sandwich for free